It's KOOL Play dough

Need some entertaining for an afternoon?

Kool Aid Play Dough

2 1/2 c. flour             1/2 c. salt             3 T. oil        2 c. boiling water 

2 pkg. Kool Aid (any flavor, without added sugar but the color will show through)

Mix dry ingredients, then add water and oil--stir quickly.  Mix well. When cool enough, mix dough with your hands until everything is squished together and mixed through.  Store in airtight container.  This made enough to fill a sandwich baggie for each kiddo.

**Sidenote about Daradie's "dress" she's sporting:  a few days ago while taking sheets off the clothesline, she wrapped one of them around her and secured it with a few clothespins.  She asked how she looked.  I told her that she reminded me of Ariel from The Little Mermaid when she gets shipwrecked, discovered she had legs and Scuttle helped create a dress out of the old ship's sail.  Apparently that description was cool.  She's been wearing a sheet wrapped around her now for three days.

A Great Dad & Husband

Dan got called to be in another bishopric.  The kids are a little sad because he won't be able to sit by them at church and he has a lot of meetings.  But I'm glad because this time around I have someone to sit by at church instead of by myself.  Carol Burnett, a famous actress/comedian, had a secret code to tell her mom that she loved her during each of her performances.  Carol would tug her ear during one of her stand-up performances or during her TV shows.  A simple gesture that very few people knew about but meant the world to each other.  We told the kiddos that story and they pounced on it!  Daradie chose the ear tug and Koen the double wink (it's actually just a wink, but he can't wink too great and so it's now the awesome "double wink").  Now the kiddos and Dan have something special to share while being away from one another.

He knows that his time is limited on Sundays and so he maximizes it.  Dan plays Nerf guns with Koen while waiting for the mushroom and macaroni to cook--a quick and favorite lunch among Dan and the kiddos (I think it's disgusting).  Here's how to make it:  boil macaroni noodles until tender, add cream of mushroom soup and a little milk and stir until noodles are covered.  I can remember the last time I bought a box of regular ol' mac & cheese.

Summertime Rocks!

 When summer days get a little boring and the endless question "What can I do for fun?" follows me all around the kitchen, out to the yard, to the mailbox and almost to the bathroom....I introduce the kiddos to rocks.

We're cheap and we gathered up a bunch of river rocks to edge flowerbeds.  I love them!  It gives our house a little rustic old feeling that I can't get enough.

I love to see where their imagination leads them.  I secretly beam with pride at my kids' creativity.  Summer squabbles are forgotten and now I hear laughs and giggles.  I love walking around the yard and admiring the flowerbeds....and not always just the flowers.

It makes me happy.